Tunnel lining



y 3 0 A. E. WILKOFF 2,080,020

' TUNNEL LINING Filed Aug. 21, 1934 Patented May 11, 1937 r OFFKIE TUNNEL LINING Arthur E. Wilkoff, Niies, Ohio, assignor to Youngstown Steel Car Corporation, a corporation of Ohio Application August 21,

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to tunnel liner plates used in the lining of tunnel mine shafts and the like and aims generally to improve existing constructions of tunnel liner plates.

".3 In the construction of tunnels and the like the practice is to line the boring progressively as it is dug with a metal lining composed of rectangular metal plates. These plates should be of sufficient thickness and strength to support the load above it and preferably should be of such shape and construction as to prevent seepage or ravelling of loose earth, sand and the like'into the bore of the tunnel.

Heretofore the liner plates have consisted of segmental rectangular plates flanged along the four' sides thereof and secured together in assembled staggered relation by means of bolts or other fastening means extended through adjoining flanges of adjacent plates. There are usually four bolt holes in each side flange of each plate and it is necessary for one or two men to hold the plate in position while another inserts the necessary connecting bolts for securing the side flanges together. Furthermore, heretofore it has been the practice to make the flange corners of the plate as square and as sharp as possible to reduce as much as possible the size of the openings between corners of adjacent plates. This materially adds to the cost of manufacture by either requiring a hot pressed plate or increase the waste and scrap when cold pressing or drawing, due to the difficulties in cold working the metal to produce a square sharp flange corner of full flange depth.

My invention aims to improve the construction of liner plates for tunnels and the like, which need not have square sharp corners and hence may readily be cold drawn from a single blank of wrought iron with a minimum of waste and scrap, by so constructing the liner plate that seepage or ravelling of loose materials into the bore of the tunnel will be effectively prevented. My improved construction also reinforces the lining at the joints between adjacent plates so that a maximum load can be supported by plates of a minimum thickness. Furthermore, my im proved tunnel liner may be more readily assembled than was possible with plates heretofore.

50 In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated several preferred embodiments of my invention, which though intended solely for illustrative purposes, will serve to illustrate one manner of constructing and using the invention.

55 In the drawing- 1934, Serial No. 740,813

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved liner plate;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of a portion of a lining showing a plurality of plates secured together;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken. on the line i l of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of a plate according to a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of another modified form of the invention; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are side views respectively of a further modified form of the invention.

Referring to the illustrated embodiments of the invention, the liner plates may advantageously be formed from a single sheet or blank of wrought iron or steel, as by cold pressing or drawing the metal in suitable dies, as will be obvious.

The blank is so shaped as to provide 2. rectangular body ill having integral and continuous side flanges H and end flanges l2, the body Hl being preferably formed with ribs or corrugations such as at l3, for strengthening the body of the plate. In order to render the drawing operation easy, the flange corners, that is the connecting portions between flanges H and I2, are well rounded as at 54 so that the corners of the punches will not tear the metal and at the same time permit of full depth flange corners. Advantageously the flanges II and 12 are formed with bolt holes E5 to receive bolts 16 by means of which the liner plates may be secured together in assembled relation, for example, as shown in Fig. 3. When the plates are to be used in circular or arcuate tunnels, they may be curved as shown in Fig. 2, as is customary.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the original blank is so shaped that after pressing in dies to produce the flanged rectangular plate as above described, a flange l1 remains projecting substantially at right angles to an end flange l2, producing an integral flange projecting laterally from the lower edge of the end flange l2. The metal stock comprising the flange I! is preferably so trimmed, either be-- fore or after the drawing operation, as toproduce flange ends 18 substantially in line with the side flanges H of the plate. Thus when a plurality of plates Ill are connected end to end the openings I9 formed by opposed rounded corners I4 will be directly over and sheathed by the body of the flange l1, preventing any seepage at the corner joints.

In some instances it is desirable to arrange the liner plates lengthwise of the tunnel and accordingly I may, form the supporting and protecting flange I! along one side with the edges [8 thereof substantially flush or in line with the end flanges l2 as shown in Fig. 7.

The flange I! may be formed with a pressed ofiset or rib (see Figs. 5 and 6) with an inner wall spaced from the end flange l2 suificiently to receive the end flange I? of another liner plate. The ends of the wall 2i may be curved as at 22 along radii slightly less than the inner radii of the flange corners of the liner plates to provide a groove 23 in which may be seated the lower edge of the flange I2 and adjacent rounded corners. This construction provides a tight seal between the ends and corners of adjacent liner plates and the abutting surfaces of adjacent plates will be tightly sealed upon tightening of the bolts l6.

Although I prefer to construct my improved liner plate from a single blank of metal, I may, if desired, press or otherwise form a rectangular pan H] as in Figs. 8 and 9, with flanges H and I2 on three sides only. On the fourth side, or end, an angle bar 24 may be secured as by welding at 25, so that one flange 26 of the angle bar projects laterally beyond the body it] of the plate. This construction may be preferable in heavy constructions involving heavier or thicker metal which may be diflicult to draw to a rectangular pan with flanges on its four sides.

Advantages of my invention reside in the simplicity of the construction, the ease with which the liner plates may be assembled together with the added strength of the completed tunnel lining. By making the flange corners of the liner plate rounded as at Id, an easy draw is possible, thus reducing excessive wear and tear on the dies and punches, and also greatly reducing the tendency of the punches to tear the metal as is the case when sharp square corners are drawn by a cold drawing operation. The provision of the flange ll provides adequate and complete assurance against seepage, adds greatly to the strength of the tunnel lining because of its support and reinforcement of the end of an adjacent flange and also provides a support or ledge on which an end of a liner plate. may be rested, when assembling, thus permitting a single workman to put a new liner plate in place, supported at one end by the flange I! while one or more bolts are inserted between adjacent side flanges of adjoining liner plates. The workman may then proceed to place the additional bolts l6 so that the assembling of the lining is greatly expedited.

The above described constructions are intended solely as illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention and I do not thereby intend to be limited to those precise forms.

I claim:

1. A liner plate for tunnels and the like comprising a body portion, a continuous integral flange extending along the sides and ends of the body portion, the metal adjoining the side and end flanges being rounded to facilitate the drawing of said flanges, said rounded portions coacting to provide openings at the corner junctures when a plurality of plates are assembled together, means for connecting adjacent flanges of adjoining liner plates together and flange means on one of the end flanges and extending therefrom to underlie the end flange of an adjoining liner plate over the entire width thereof to prevent seepage of material through the openings at the corner junctures between said plates.

2. A liner plate as defined in claim 1 characterized by forming an end flange of said body portion of an angle bar welded to the body portion with the horizontal flange of said angle bar extending laterally beyond the sides of said body portion.

3. A liner plate as defined in claim 1 in which the supporting flange is formed with a raised portion spaced from the adjacent flange of said body portion providing therebetween a recessed portion to receive the adjacent flange edge of an adjoining plate.

ARTHUR E. WILKOFF. 

